Chapter 3: Help!

They arrived at The Datai where flower garlands and cocktails awaited them.  

"Welcome Mr. Lewis, Madam Lewis. We cannot express enough just how pleased we are to have you here again." The General Manager himself greeted us. What was his name again? What is there to bother. Montgomery was annoyed that his marriage to Journee would be delayed. Flying tomorrow would mean the vows will only be exchanged in the next 24 hours if they were lucky. Fuck! He briskly walked past the entourage who warmly welcomed the rest of the group instead. Montgomery headed straight to his chalet, ready to burry himself in work.

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Montgomery Lewis's behaviour left Journee bewildered. How could he be so rude? Does the man have no knowledge of manners and etiquette, which are the steppingstones to heaven? Such arrogance. As she walked to the chalet she was to share with granny, Journey was starting to regret her decision to willingly marry the Lewis heir.

“We will most likely leave tomorrow after breakfast, once the sky clears” Robert informed granny. His prediction was of by a few days. The weather forecast predicted even worse conditions the rest of the week.

Perhaps fate is on my side after all, postponing my marriage and all. That thought lifted Journee’s spirits.

After three days of being cooped up indoors, Journee grew restless. There was no crowd at the resort due to a thunderstorm that had knocked out the island's main source of electricity, or so she was informed.

"Granny, may I do a little sightseeing?" Journee asked the Lewis grandmother, hoping that her obedience and politeness over the past few days would earn that permission.

"Why, of course, my dear. Being cooped up here with a 75-year-old woman must be boring. Would you like Monty to accompany you?"

"Oh, no, thank you, granny. I'm sure he's still busy. I wouldn't want to impose."

"How considerate of you. Speak to the concierge about where you'd like to go. They'll charge it to the room. Have fun!"

"Thank you!" Journee quickly changed into a fresh pair of jeans and an off-shoulder blouse before dashing down to the lobby. As expected, she was greeted with smiles and utmost politeness from the staff.

"How may I assist you, Ms. Lee? We have many tourist attractions here. Would you like a trip to Kuah Town? Or perhaps you'd like to visit historical sites like Telaga Tujuh or Mahsuri's Tomb?" The kind-looking concierge stopped me.

"I just need a ride to Lubuk Tuna."

"Ah! I see you've read about our private waterfall."

"Yes." Not wanting to delve into the specifics, Journee had lived on the island for four years during her childhood, so she knew it the island like the back of her hand. Back then, Dorthy's parents were engineers stationed in Langkawi to improve the island's transportation for tourism. Ah... those were the times.

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Twenty-eight minutes later, Journee arrived at the renowned waterfall. It was peaceful and serene. Since it was the off-peak season, there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Should I wait here, Miss?" the same concierge who acted as her driver asked.

"No, thank you. You can return in about two hours." She knew that gave her plenty of time before the next storm hit the island.

"I don't think that's wise. We have legends and folklore surrounding this place."

"Don't worry. I know the rules. No shouting, no peeing in the water, no damaging any part of this sacred place, right?"

"Sure... but I still think I should stay, for your safety, of course."

"I used to live in Langkawi. I'll be fine. I used to come to Lubuk Tuna every weekend. So please, let me have some time to myself."

"But... miss. The legend says a powerful demon king resides here with his 28 generals. It's not wise to be here alone."

"I also know that the legend says he is a benevolent demon king who doesn't harm humans unless they break his rules."

The concierge still appeared worried, but he reluctantly retreated and quickly left the area. seeming afraid to Journee’s amusement.

Finally, Journee found herself alone by the clear, emerald-green water, immersing her feet in its soothing embrace. Tears welled up, silently streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want to go through with the marriage. In fact, she had always envisioned getting married at the age of 40 – a career woman who commanded respect, enjoying evenings with friends at parties and business functions, and spending weekends with her father for as long as he lived. It was a dream, a hope, and now it all felt shattered. Gone as swiftly as the waterfall cleansed Journee’s feet, leaving her trapped in a loveless union with a cold, stone-hearted workaholic.

"Help," She barely whispered, daring to voice her inner turmoil to the wind and the silence of the earth around her.

In response, a warm breeze caressed her skin, sending an odd shiver down her spine. So strange, yet so fitting. Maybe I was about to fall ill, burdened by the stress right before the wedding. Ha! She wondered what others would think of that unusual moment.

As she watched the cool water trickle across her feet, it enticed her, beckoning for a swim. It held the same allure and enchantment it had when Journee was a child. Whatever... I might as well savour one last taste of freedom.

Casting a cautious glance around to ensure she was completely alone, Journee stripped down to her underwear and immersed herself in the water, feeling its gentle embrace.

A few laps later, the warm breeze returned. Was it the same wind? She laughed at her foolishness, questioning her own thoughts. What am I saying? Of course, all wind was the same and yet different, mere particles in motion at varying speeds.

Taking a deep breath, the lone swimmer submerged herself underwater, fully embracing the moment. Ah... such a wonderful sensation.

A swift movement in the water caught her attention. Something large. Had someone jumped into the waterfall? Oh no! I am only in my underwear. Journee scanned the water but found nothing. Perhaps it was a mischievous monkey throwing stones. She took a wild guess. There were many monkeys roaming the area after all.

Emerging for a breath, Journee settled on one of the smooth rocks by the side, only to witness more movement against the current. It emitted a hue she couldn't quite comprehend.

Could it be a water snake? She hastily withdrew her feet from the water, rushing to put on her clothes. There was no way Journee would go near one of those creepy crawly creatures. She hated creepy crawling things.

In her haste to get dressed, Journee forgot that she has not a towel, and hadn't taken a moment to shake off the excess water or squeeze her hair dry. So now, she stood completely drenched, like a cat in from the rain.

"A little wind would be great now," She muttered sarcastically to herself.

Whoosh! A gust of wind enveloped her from all directions, miraculously drying her within seconds.

"Weird... So... very... weird." A small part of the girl screamed inwardly in frantic fear. Ghost! Run! Yet, a braver part of her felt intrigued.

Could it truly have been just the wind? Or was it something supernatural, even paranormal? If so, was it trying to frighten me? Play with me? Help me, perhaps? But come on, think rationally. Why would any spirit, demon, or ghost help to dry me? It made no sense.

Journee shook her head, attributing it to wedding nerves and the mounting pressure.

It's simply the wind, plain and simple. After all, Langkawi was scorching hot. Warm air at a certain momentum would naturally dry me up fast... right?

Once again, something stirred in the water. Journee stared intently, attempting to discern its nature. Perhaps it was a fish that had been swept down the waterfall and became trapped here?

The movement moved toward the cascading waterfall, accompanied by the sound of wet, echoing footsteps blending with the crashing water. Her heart leaped into my throat, for she knew – deep down – that it was far from normal.

The footsteps grew louder with the passing moments, and Journee noticed footprints on the rocks, moving out of the waterfall and towards her.

Shit... Whether it was her imagination or not, she no longer cared. Journee knew that she had to get out of there. Sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her, she only stopped for a breath when she reached the roadside. Thank God! Help! I dashed towards the Datai limousine that was pulling into view, hopped inside, and slammed the door shut.

"Is everything alright, miss?" the kindly concierge asked, genuine concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine, just fine. Could we please head back to the resort quickly?" Journee spoke with urgency.

"Of course, miss. Is there anywhere you'd like to stop by first?"

"No, no. I have everything I need back in my chalet."

"I see. Don't worry, miss. These seats are all leather. If you need it, you can have my jacket to tie around your waist." He offered, guessing the situation.

"Oh! Um, that won't be necessary. Thank you." Why did he offer his jacket? Tie it around my waist? Huh? Another sarcastic thought was thrown from Journee’s mind.

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Back at one of the Datai chalets, Montgomery has just emerged from the piles of overwhelming work his father had loaded on him. The deluge of emails, piling up before the phone lines and Wi-Fi went down, had pushed him to the brink of exhaustion. It felt as though his energy would be completely drained. However, Montgomery was relieved that it was all behind him now. Throughout those arduous days, his thoughts often wandered to Journee. The mellifluous sound of her voice provided solace to his troubled mind. It was a mere memory, yet it seemed as though his entire world revolved around it.

"I should invite her to dinner today," Montgomery mused, acknowledging internally that he had caused her distress. Setting aside the last of his paperwork, the young man made his way to his bride-to-be’s chalet, a mere 200 meters away.

"Hello, granny," He greeted my grandmother as he entered. "Is Journee in her room?"

"Oh no, dear. She went out for a tour of the island a few hours ago."

"In this scorching heat? She's not properly dressed. What if she becomes dehydrated?" He was bewildered by the apparent indifference these women had towards the sun’s harmful effects.  

Just then, he turned to see a flushed and breathless Journee standing before him. "Hi! Are you alright? Where did you come from?" Holding her elbow, he guided her to a chair and fetched a glass of water.

She didn't answer the question immediately, which frustrated him to no end. "Where did you go?" Montgomery demanded.

"I went to Lubuk Tuna," she replied softly.

"You went to the waterfall alone?!"

"No, I went with the concierge."

"Why on earth would you go during the low season? Don't you realize how dangerous it can be? Not to mention the scorching heat at this time of year!" Montgomery sighed, He hadn't intended to raise his voice, but it escaped him, unfiltered. Fortunately, his phone rang before je could cause any further damage.

"Yes? Okay... Granny, Journee, Robert says we're clear to fly at 2pm. Start packing your things." Without another word, Montgomery hurried back to his chalet to begin packing. There wasn’t much time – only one hour to get everything ready.

Wow... what a man! And I don't mean that in a positive way. It seems that every time we interact, he exudes dominance and makes demanding requests. She had barely recovered from the shock of encountering some kind of spirit, and now Mr. Montgomery Lewis was unleashing his temper on her.

However, she couldn't reveal her true feelings in front of granny, all her diligent effort to gain favour would just go down the drain. I can’t afford to lose it. She might be my only ally after I get married. It's crucial to maintain a positive relationship with her.

Steading her nerves, she approached the little old lady, "do you need any assistance, granny?"

"No, my dear. Robert will help me. You go and freshen up before we leave."

"Alright, granny."

Out of the corner of her eye, Journee thought she saw a peculiar colour darting through the area like a gust of wind.

Did it follow me? I hope not. No, no, no... Journee, think logically, not emotionally. Once we fly over the ocean, this entity won't be able to follow us anymore. Remember, Mommy said they are bound by the laws of the spirit world. The sooner we depart, the better.

Shaking off the budding fear, she dove into full packing mode, and hurried to the airport with the rest of her group. It seemed like she wasn't the only one trying to escape this place.

There was an unsettling amount of wind in the air, but it didn't matter. I had to leave. Quickly!